Before starting to explain all the network architectures available in LoRaWAN. 1
I want to show you clearly in this figure where the LoRaWAN protocol stands. 2
We explain in a previous videao that the LoRaWAN protocol is made of end devices, gateways, network and 3
application server. 4
Then most of the time, an Iot platform or other services are connected to the LoRaWAN server so they can 5
import the data to process. 6
But when we see this overall infrastructure, one could say, Hey, the application server is here to 7
decrypt the data. 8
So the data sent outside of the application server are not encrypted anymore. 9
The answer is yes and no. 10
Yes, because the data are not encrypted by the application session key anymore. 11
So from that point data are not encrypted by the LoRaWAN protocol anymore. 12
But on the other hand, we will obviously choose a secure protocol to send them to the Iot platform. 13
So no, the data won't be sent in plaintext and the transmission to the IoT platform won't be unsecure. 14
Okay. 15
But the LoRaWAN protocol is supposed to support what we call end to end security. 16
End to end security is the network capability to encrypt the data on the end-devices side and to decrypt 17
it on the user side. 18
So in our case, the LoRaWAN decryption should be on the IoT platform itself .With end to end security, 19
there is no way to have malicious intrusions between the device and the user. 20
Okay. 21
But here it's not the case because the application server decrypts data and then they are encrypted 22
again with another protocol. 23
If your provider proposed such an infrastructure, that means that it can read your data. 24
And if you want to be sure that nobody can read them, even the LoRaWAN provider, then the application server 25
should handle the decryption on the user side. 26
So here on the figure. 27
So when you choose a LoRaWAN provider, if you want end to end security, that's something you have 28
to care about. 29
So anyway, for this lecture, we don't really care where is the application server. 30
We'll just consider the application server has the capability to decrypt the user data. 31
And that's exactly what the LoRa Alliance says about the application server. 32
Nothing more. 33
And wherever it is, it won't challenge our explanation.